In conducting a compliance engagement, the objectives of the assurance practitioner are:

1. To obtain reasonable or limited assurance, about whether the entity has complied in all material respects, with compliance requirements as evaluated against the suitable criteria;
2. To express a conclusion^[2] through a written report on the matters in (a) above which expresses either a reasonable or limited assurance conclusion and describes the basis for the conclusion; and/or
3. To communicate further as required by this ASAE and any other relevant ASAEs.

In conducting the assurance engagement, the objectives of the assurance practitioner under ASAE 3000^[3] include: “to obtain either reasonable or limited assurance, as appropriate, about whether the subject matter information is free from material misstatement”. The subject matter information in a compliance engagement is the outcome of the evaluation^[4] of compliance with the compliance requirements, as evaluated against the criteria. The evaluation is conducted:

1. In an attestation engagement on compliance, by the responsible party or evaluator, and presented in a Statement^[5] , which addresses whether the compliance requirements have been met. The objective of the assurance practitioner is to obtain reasonable or limited assurance about whether the Statement is free from material misstatement, although the assurance practitioner’s conclusion may be expressed in terms of whether the compliance requirements have been met; or
2. In a direct engagement on compliance, by the assurance practitioner and presented in the assurance conclusion, therefore, no Statement is prepared by the responsible party. The objective of the assurance practitioner is to obtain reasonable or limited assurance about whether the compliance requirements have been met.